Written Answers Thursday 6 March 2008

Scottish Executive

Autism

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting people with autism.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government works collaboratively with voluntary sector organisations, local authorities, services users and carers to develop and inform appropriate and responsive services for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Bridges

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average journey time has been for crossing the Forth Road Bridge in the three-week period after removing tolls as compared with the three week period before tolls were removed.

Stewart Stevenson: Average journey time information for the Forth Road Bridge is not available. However, the Scottish Government and FETA collect data on traffic flows.

  There are a variety of factors that can impact on traffic flows on the Forth Road Bridge, including school half-term, and other seasonal factors.

  While it would be premature to come to conclusions about changes in traffic flows due to the abolition of bridge tolls, initial analysis shows that overall average weekday traffic flows across the bridge have increased by around 1% from pre toll levels. Indications are that northbound only traffic flows increased by almost 3%, with southbound traffic flows showing a slight decrease over the same period.

Bridges

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to hold a public inquiry into its decision to build a further Forth crossing at Queensferry or whether the decision will be fast-tracked.

Stewart Stevenson: The decision has been made to construct a replacement Forth Crossing. There is no intention to hold a public inquiry into this decision.

Bridges

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it took account of the disruption caused by bridge closures in bad weather conditions in its decision to build a bridge rather than a tunnel at Queensferry.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes.

Bridges

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect wind shielding would have had on the numbers of restrictions and closures on the Forth Road Bridge in the last two months.

Stewart Stevenson: The operation and maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA). There are several examples of bridges where wind shielding has been incorporated and as a result vehicles are unaffected by inclement weather. However, wind shielding cannot be retrofitted on the existing Forth Road Bridge for structural reasons.

Bridges

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding options are available to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to provide the resources for engineering measures such as building temporary ramps on the Forth Road Bridge to ease traffic disruption during repairs to the bridge’s main expansion joints.

Stewart Stevenson: Grant funding has been made available within the recently agreed budget settlement, to cover the Forth Estuary Transport Authority’s (FETA) estimated running and maintenance costs, as they were estimated at the time.

  Should the option of using temporary ramps be taken forward, the Scottish Government would discuss with FETA how that might be funded. Immediate funding options available could involve the reprogramming of other maintenance expenditure, or the use of FETA’s borrowing powers.

Bridges

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding options to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to enable engineering work to install temporary ramps on the Forth Road Bridge to ease traffic disruption during repairs to the bridge’s main expansion joints.

Stewart Stevenson: There are no plans to provide funding options beyond those already available to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.

Bridges

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic costs associated with the introduction of a continuous contraflow on the Forth Road Bridge for at least eight weeks.

Stewart Stevenson: Responsibility for any assessment of such costs is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, as the authority with responsibility for maintaining and operating the Forth Road Bridge.

Bridges

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on journey times in and out of Edinburgh resulting from the introduction of a continuous contraflow on the Forth Road Bridge for at least eight weeks.

Stewart Stevenson: Responsibility for any assessment of such impacts is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, as the authority with responsibility for maintaining and operating the Forth Road Bridge.

Bridges

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what further resources will be available to fund additional public transport links between Edinburgh and Fife as an alternative to private car travel during periods of lane closures on the Forth Road Bridge.

Stewart Stevenson: Planning for major works involving possible lane closures on the Forth Road Bridge is at an early stage. No assessment has been made at this stage of the need for possible traffic mitigation measures. However, the provision of public transport services is primarily a matter for the local authorities and SESTRAN, in association with private sector operators.

Bridges

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of abolishing the tolls on the Forth Road Bridge.

Stewart Stevenson: The Financial Memorandum to the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill explained that the overall cost to the public purse of abolishing the tolls is the annual loss of net toll income. Net toll income on the Forth Road Bridge is estimated at £10.8 million at current prices and traffic volumes.

  In addition there are transitional costs relating to the removal of tolling equipment, remodelling of the toll plaza for road safety reasons, and the costs of staff redundancies. These costs are estimated at between £3.5 million and £4 million which will fall partly in financial year 2007-08 and partly in financial year 2008-09.

Central Heating Programme

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating systems have been installed in Aberdeen in each quarter since the central heating programme was introduced.

Stewart Maxwell: For the scheme as a whole, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode.

  For the period when Eaga Partnership was the managing agent i.e. before October 2006 information on installations in the private sector is held as annual installation figures.

  From the start of the programme in 2001 until the end of December 2007, the numbers of systems installed, across all sectors of the housing stock in each financial year in the AB postcode area is shown in the table:

  

Postcode Area
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
Total


AB
244
415
756
914
935
581
564
4,409



  Notes:

  1. The AB postcode area is the main postcode area that includes Aberdeen.

  2. The figures include installations carried out in the AB main postcode area by local authorities and housing associations and by the managing agent for the private sector central heating programme.

  3. The 2007-08 figure only includes installations up to the end of December 2007.

  Quarterly figures for the AB postcode area for the period after Scottish Gas became the Managing Agent i.e. October 2006 to March 2007 and for the period April 2007 until December 2007 are available. The information is shown in the table.

  

Postcode Area
Oct–Dec 06
Jan-March 07
April-June 07
July–Sep 07
Oct-Dec 07
Total


AB
0
117
123
209
232
681

Child Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scotland’s commitment to the European Child Safety Action Plan project, how many childhood accidental (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal injuries there have been in each year since 2000, broken down by (i) cause of injury, (ii) category of injury and (iii) NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Table 1 (Bib. number 45008) shows number of emergency hospital admissions due to unintentional injury, by cause of injury, category of injury and NHS board of residence, for under 15-year-olds, for 2000-01 to 2006-07. Table 2 (Bib. number 45009) shows the number of deaths recorded due to unintentional injury by cause of injury, category of injury and NHS board of residence, for under 15 year olds, for calendar years 2000 to 2006.

Child Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scotland’s commitment to the European Child Safety Action Plan project, what plans there are to develop an inter-agency collaboration to enable the creation and implementation of a common dataset for injury data collection in children.

Shona Robison: An interagency collaboration was formed to develop a common dataset for injury including injury to children in 2004. As a result of this collaboration a common dataset was agreed following detailed discussion. This is available for implementation.

Child Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scotland’s commitment to the European Child Safety Action Plan project, what plans there are to develop a child injury surveillance system.

Shona Robison: There are no plans currently to develop a national child injury surveillance system. However, the lessons learned in the course of a pilot project in Lanarkshire endorsed by both the Scottish Governments Justice and Health Directorates working collaboratively, will be potentially applicable to all categories of injury, including those affecting children.

Child Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scotland’s commitment to the European Child Safety Action Plan project, what the annual frequency was, by (a) type and (b) cause, of unintentional sporting injuries among children since 2000; how many such injuries resulted in hospital admission, and what the main causes were of those that resulted in admission.

Shona Robison: The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45010).

Child Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scotland’s commitment to the European Child Safety Action Plan project, what proportion of all rugby related injuries since 2000 resulted in (a) quadriplegia, (b) concussion, (c) ligament damage and (d) bone fractures, among males aged (i) 12 to 15 inclusive and (ii) 16 and over, all broken down by (A) rugby club, (B) area of residence and (C) local authority.

Shona Robison: The data requested is not held centrally.

Child Welfare

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will provide for increasing attainment for looked-after children in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Adam Ingram: As set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007,  funding to increase educational attainment for looked-after children has now been incorporated into the total local government settlement. As part of this settlement, local government has agreed to work with the Scottish Government to contribute to the delivery of the national outcomes and on the specific commitments which are also outlined in that document.

Community Care

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been awarded in capital allocations under the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme to projects within the NHS Tayside area in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: A total of £9.618 million has been awarded for projects within the NHS Tayside area since 1999, in four tranches as set out in the table:

  

Tranche
Amount (£)


1999-2004
1,618,000


2004-06
1,818,000


2006-08
4,920,000


2008-09
1,262,000


Total
9,618,000

Concessionary Travel

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase charges for rail travel for all senior citizens travelling between Fife and Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a local government matter. At their discretion, local authorities are free to provide for their residents travel concessions which they consider to be appropriate and affordable.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the entitlements are in respect of the national concessionary travel scheme for older people.

Stewart Stevenson: National Entitlement Cardholders can travel free throughout Scotland on local buses and long distance scheduled coaches, including peak-time services. Eligible residents on Scottish islands are also entitled to two free return (or four single) ferry journeys to the mainland each year.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency are entitled to free bus travel.

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency are entitled to free bus travel.

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency are entitled to free bus travel.

Stewart Stevenson: Statistics relating to the number of National Entitlement Cards issued to eligible participants in the national concessionary scheme are available by local authority area.

  At 28 February 2008 the number of National Entitlement Cards which give an entitlement to Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel issued to East Dunbartonshire Council residents was 22,524 and to West Dunbartonshire Council residents 19,118.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency have applied for free bus travel.

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency have applied for free bus travel.

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency have applied for free bus travel.

Stewart Stevenson: The legislation for the national concessionary scheme does not require us to hold this level of information relating to the number of applications made for free bus travel.

  Statistics relating to the number of National Entitlement Cards issued to eligible participants in the National Concessionary scheme are available by local authority area.

  At 28 February 2008, the number of National Entitlement Cards, which give an entitlement to Scotland-Wide Free Bus Travel issued to East Dunbartonshire Council residents was 22,524 and to West Dunbartonshire Council residents 19,118.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the national concessionary travel scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: We have no current plans to extend the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to assess the success of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: There has been no formal assessment of the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People to date.

Concessionary Travel

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the concessionary travel scheme has been a success.

Stewart Stevenson: With around 1.1 million National Entitlement Cardholders at present, there can be no doubt that the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People has been a success.

Crofting

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what legal responsibility the Crofters Commission has to investigate alleged financial improprieties within grazings committees.

Michael Russell: Section 47(8) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 (as amended) allows the Crofters Commission to make such inquiry, if any, as they deem necessary where there are grounds for believing that any or all of the members of a grazing committee, or the grazings clerk, are not properly carrying out the duties imposed on them under the Act. Section 47(8) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 further allows the Crofters Commission to remove from office members of a grazings committee who are not properly carrying out their duties.

  The Crofters Commission could exercise these powers, under the act, where there were grounds for believing that financial impropriety may have occurred.

Drug Misuse

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has undertaken to target suspected drug drivers.

Stewart Stevenson: Through Road Safety Scotland, the Scottish Government has targeted messages about drug driving at road users.

  In December 2007, Road Safety Scotland was associated with a Scottish Government Truck Tour, which visited Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow. One of the objectives of the tour was to raise awareness of drug driving issues.

  Road Safety Scotland’s "Getinlane" website for young drivers provides advice and information on illegal drugs and over-the-counter drugs with regard to the law on drugs impairment and driving. Drug driving is also addressed in the "Crash Magnets" educational resource for upper secondary pupils.

Drug Misuse

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which police forces in Scotland are using roadside drug testing kits.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce roadside drug testing kits to all police forces across Scotland.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drivers suspected to be under the influence of drugs have been subject to saliva-based tests since June 2007.

Kenny MacAskill: Any drug screening device to be used by the police in a suspected drug driving case must be of a type approved by UK ministers. As yet no device is type approved.

  If a type approved device became available, its use would be an operational matter for individual chief constables.

Drug Misuse

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people arrested since June 2007 have been subject to saliva-based tests to determine whether the crime is linked to drug abuse.

Kenny MacAskill: Police forces in Scotland do not use saliva based tests to determine whether a crime is linked to drug abuse.

Economy

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop sustainable and successful economic growth in the south of Scotland.

John Swinney: We place great importance on supporting and encouraging economic development throughout Scotland, including the South of Scotland.

  The Government Economic Strategy sets out how we will focus on creating a more successful country through increasing sustainable economic growth. The strategy sets out an approach to growth which is cohesive across Scotland’s regions.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage schools to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help pupils learn about the events of the Holocaust as part of lessons on citizenship and anti-racist education.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Scotland teach their pupils about the Holocaust.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Scotland do not have lessons about the Holocaust.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Holocaust teaching packs prepared by Learning and Teaching Scotland in 2000 and 2002 have been updated.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to update the Holocaust teaching packs circulated to schools in 2000 and 2002.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to record the testimony of Holocaust survivors to add to the teaching packs circulated to schools.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make Holocaust education material available on the web.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the UK Government’s aim to encourage two pupils from every school to visit Auschwitz.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it could involve the young people who have participated in the visits to Auschwitz in updating Holocaust education materials.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it sees lessons on the Holocaust fitting into the new Curriculum for Excellence framework.

Maureen Watt: The responsibility for the management and delivery of the Scottish curriculum is a matter for education authorities and head teachers, or in the case of independent schools, the boards of governors and head teachers. The Scottish Government’s concordat with COSLA includes as a national outcome that our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and successful citizens. It is, therefore, the responsibility of each local authority and schools to consider the contribution that study opportunities such as Holocaust education will make to the national outcome and make them available to pupils within their own funding allocations.

  We do not hold data on the number of schools which teach or do not teach pupils on the Holocaust. Currently, schools are encouraged to deliver education using the National 5-14 guidelines, published by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). These programmes offer a number of opportunities for young people to learn about citizenship education, which includes learning about the Holocaust. Curriculum for Excellence will provide opportunities for teachers to use the cross curricular theme of Citizenship education in a variety of different curriculum areas throughout the curriculum. There will also be rich opportunities through the social studies outcomes including the emphasis on the rights and responsibilities of individual and nations, and through the impending Religious Moral Education outcomes to foster the development of values, beliefs and attitudes.

  There are no plans to update the Holocaust teaching packs prepared by LTS in 2000 and 2002. However, there are support materials and information on a number of LTS websites which support teaching about the events of the Holocaust. In particular, a key aspect of effective education for citizenship is developing the ability to recognise and respond thoughtfully to values and value judgements that are part of political, economic, social and cultural life.

  Holocaust Memorial Day is included on the Enterprise wall planner which is sent to every school in Scotland. The date is also highlighted in e-bulletins which are sent to teachers and local authorities and The Times Educational Supplement Scotland and the LTS online service publicise good practice.

Education

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers of classes for English for speakers of other languages are in local authority employment in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

Education

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is planned to deliver classes for English for speakers of other languages to the rural areas of the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

  Providers have discretion over the volume and nature of ESOL provision, although they should have regard to our adult ESOL strategy in planning such provision.

  Publicly funded ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes are provided in Scotland’s colleges, Community Learning and Development (CLD) partnerships in local authorities and by a small number of voluntary providers.

Education

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding in the spending review will be allocated to the delivery of classes for English for speakers of other languages in the Highlands and Islands parliamentary region.

Fiona Hyslop: Discussions on the allocation of the additional £9 million for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are currently underway with key stakeholders. A decision is expected shortly.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the new Curriculum for Excellence and with the publication of the draft experiences and outcomes in social studies, only qualified teachers of history will be able to teach history.

Maureen Watt: There are no plans to change the current position under the Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005 which impose a duty on education authorities to employ adequate numbers of teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable those teachers to undertake the teaching duties allocated to them.

Education

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to fund all grant maintained schools at current levels.

Maureen Watt: There are no grant-maintained schools in Scotland.

  The seven grant-aided special schools will receive the same recurrent funding in 2008-09 as was awarded in 2007-08. The other school receiving direct grant from the Scottish Executive, Jordanhill School, is currently in discussion with officials over its budget for financial years 2008-11.

Education

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it was decided to phase out the Cultural Co-ordinators in Schools programme and what guidance has been given to schools in light of this programme coming to an end.

Linda Fabiani: Whilst the Scottish Government commends positive impacts achieved by cultural co-ordinators, it considers that these activities should be integrated into the mainstream of schools’ and local authorities’ cultural and educational practice. To assist this progress central funding continues for two further financial years and the Scottish Arts Council is working with authorities and co-ordinators to ensure the sustainability and dissemination of good practice which the initiative has generated.

Employment

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to increase opportunities for employment in Ayrshire, given that recent information from Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire forecasts that the rate of growth in employment in Ayrshire will be 1% between 2007 and 2017 while in Scotland as a whole it will be 4%.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to address the 4% drop in male employment in Ayrshire between 2007 and 2017 as forecast in recent figures from Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in light of figures from Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire that, while part-time jobs are projected to rise by 12%, full-time jobs are projected to drop by 5% between 2007 and 2017.

Jim Mather: These are forecasts based on historic data and reflect the historic underperformance of the Scottish economy, which is why we have taken a new approach to economic development with the Government Economic Strategy. We have placed sustainable economic development at the core of everything the Scottish Government does and are working to ensure that the outcomes for all of Scotland, including Ayrshire, are better than these forecasts.

Energy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Communities and Sport has specifically discussed prepayment meters with Scottish Power.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-9634 and S3W-9636 on 27 February 2008 and 6 March 2008 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Energy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its discussions with Scottish Power, backcharging for prepayment meter customers has been stopped.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9634 by Stewart Maxwell on 27 February 2008, whether any changes have been made to the policy of back charging customers with prepayment meters as a result of his meeting with Scottish Power.

Stewart Maxwell: I raised this issue with Scottish Power when I met with them on 17 December 2007. Scottish Power advises that they operate the same "back-charging" policy across the UK. They assure me that they make every effort to gain access to homes to recalibrate meters and if they are not satisfied that proper procedures for meter reading and timeous re-calibration of meters has been carried out they will waive back-charges. The company is pushing ahead with their programme of replacing their prepayment meters with meters that can be re-calibrated remotely. I understand that it has now replaced 220,000 meters. I urged Scottish Power to complete the meter replacement programme as quickly as possible.

Enterprise

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses in Grampian received a start-up grant from Scottish Enterprise in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05, (d) 2005-06 and (e) 2006-07.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to write to you in this regard.

Enterprise

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money ethnic minority enterprise contributes to the economy.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Executive does not routinely collect statistical information on the turnover of businesses by the ethnic profile of their owner. This issue was however examined in the research report Minority Ethnic Enterprise in Scotland . The report has been published on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/20132742/28083 . The report found that in 2005 ethnic minority businesses contributed between £500 million and £700 million to the Scottish economy.

Enterprise

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions on attracting Islamic finance initiatives to Scotland.

Jim Mather: In January 2008 the First Minister met with members of the Islamic Finance Council and discussed the potential gains to be had in terms of inward investment and trade from consideration of an Islamic Finance House in Scotland.

  In February 2008 Scottish Development International (SDI) and Scottish Government officials met with the Islamic Finance Council to discuss the potential to establish an Islamic Finance House in Scotland. SDI is currently liaising with Scottish Financial Enterprise on this matter and will report back to the Islamic Finance Council.

Environment

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the European Commission’s outline proposals to prohibit the use of patio heaters by restaurants and bars as part of an emissions reduction programme.

Stewart Stevenson: The European Commission has not outlined any proposals to prohibit the use of patio heaters. The European Commission has, however, published an action plan for energy efficiency to realise significant savings in EU annual primary energy consumption by 2020, the scope of which could include products such as patio heaters.

  The UK Government leads on the energy efficiency of products and the Scottish Government works closely with them to ensure that this is in line with our policies. We support the UK Government’s commitment to reducing energy wastage in consumer products and the lobbying of the EU to press for improvements in efficiency, particularly through Directive 2005/32/EC on the eco-design of  energy-using products.

  We want the Commission to concentrate its initial efforts on the Directive to drive improvements in the major energy-using products such as lights, household appliances, consumer electronics, air conditioning and electric motors. While patio heaters are wasteful, they account for a relatively small amount of energy use in comparison. We would not therefore see them as the highest priority for EU legislative action, but would support work to look at them in due course.

  At the same time we continue to urge all consumers and businesses to think carefully about their CO2 emissions and how to reduce them, from all sources, including the use of appliances for outdoor heating.

External Relations

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to send ministerial or civil servant delegations to any part of China during 2008.

Linda Fabiani: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will be leading a delegation to China from 5 to 12 April 2008. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen our engagement with China, with a particular focus on developing greater educational and research links.

  The First Minister is due to visit China in September and will attend the Paralympics Games and support Scottish business interests.

  The Deputy Director for International Division undertook a visit to China in February 2008.

External Relations

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to receive any delegations from any part of China during 2008.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government received a delegation from the Department of Arts, Ministry of Culture, Chinese Government on 5 March 2008.

Fair Trade

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the fair trade industry.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government is providing support to the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to drive forward Scotland’s campaign for Fair Trade Nation status. The Forum is working to raise awareness across the country by encouraging consumers, where possible, to buy Fairtrade products and engaging with retailers and local Fairtrade groups to stock and promote Fairtrade goods and products.

Ferry Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the decision was reached as to which routes were included in the road equivalent tariff ferry pilot scheme announced by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change on 26 February 2008.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is delivering on a manifesto commitment to carry out a study into Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) with a pilot on the Western Isles to mainland routes. Mr Swinney announced details of the RET study during his visit to Stornoway on 13 August 2007. That announcement made it clear that we would carry out a study into RET in the context of ferry fares in Scotland and that it would include a pilot exercise on one or more of the Western Isles to mainland routes.

  The consultants concluded that all the Western Isles to mainland routes should be included in the pilot. Focussing on the Western Isles to mainland routes initially will allow us to reach a view on the potential benefits of the scheme and to take informed decisions on the potential impacts across other routes.

  Consideration will be given to the roll out of RET across the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles networks once the impact of RET has been evaluated.

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8413 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, whether CalMac Ferries Ltd was explicitly advised at any time during the extensive dialogue that any part of its bid was non-compliant.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the question S3W-9538 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ferry Services

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8421 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 January 2008, what the further options are for a ferry service between Lochboisdale and Mallaig.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9534 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ferry Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the road equivalent tariff pilot scheme announced by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change on 26 February 2008.

Stewart Stevenson: The budget allocation for the road equivalent tariff (RET) study and pilot in years (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2009-10 is £5 million, £7.5 million and £10 million respectively.

  The consultant’s current estimate of the cost of the pilot exercise is within the budget currently allocated for RET.

Ferry Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the road equivalent tariff pilot scheme, announced by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change on 26 February 2008, will end.

Stewart Stevenson: As announced during my visit to Stornoway on 26 February 2008 the road equivalent tariff pilot study will commence on 19 October 2008 and will run until spring 2011.

  The pilot will be monitored continuously to identify and evaluate impacts of the new reduced fares structure. This evaluation will consider not just the Western Isles but the rest of the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles networks.

Ferry Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates that the new Caledonian MacBrayne possenger ferry now under construction in a Polish shipyard will be delivered on time in compliance with contract requirements.

Stewart Stevenson: The order for the new Islay ferry was placed in November 2007 by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). CMAL are liaising with the shipbuilders Remontowa and are closely monitoring progress of the contract. The work is progressing according to plan and CMAL anticipate the vessel will be completed in spring 2011 in accordance with the construction programme.

Finance

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the inaugural Global Financial Services conference will be for Scotland.

John Swinney: The Global Financial Services Conference will promote the industry’s strengths and success on both the domestic and global stages, so that Scotland achieves the reputation it deserves as an international financial centre. As well as enhancing Scotland’s international image, this will help us increase our competitiveness by:

  reinforcing Scotland as a first choice base for headquarter and strategic operations

  attracting new investment into Scotland

  encouraging the financial services community to stay and grow in Scotland

  projecting a global capacity that supports companies’ international ventures

  attracting talent to work in Scotland’s Financial Services industry.

Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates public expenditure will be per capita for each local authority in the next three years.

John Swinney: The estimated identified distributable Scottish Government funding per head to each local authority for the period 2008-11 is set out in the following table:

  

(£)
2008 -09
2009 -10
2010 -11


Aberdeen City
1,777
1,863
1,939


Aberdeenshire
1,845
1,928
2,007


Angus
2,004
2,098
2,188


Argyll and Bute
2,580
2,672
2,734


Clackmannanshire
2,028
2,155
2,241


Dumfries and Galloway
2,172
2,273
2,380


Dundee City
2,295
2,372
2,452


East Ayrshire
2,059
2,127
2,202


East Dunbartonshire
1,802
1,911
1,967


East Lothian
1,915
1,996
2,089


East Renfrewshire
2,004
2,086
2,168


Edinburgh, City of
1,824
1,884
1,935


Eilean Siar
4,422
4,573
4,727


Falkirk
1,927
2,029
2,114


Fife
1,925
2,008
2,077


Glasgow City
2,585
2,687
2,750


Highland
2,370
2,446
2,537


Inverclyde
2,291
2,373
2,444


Midlothian
2,092
2,159
2,229


Moray
2,090
2,269
2,334


North Ayrshire
2,149
2,211
2,280


North Lanarkshire
2,057
2,143
2,215


Orkney
3,727
3,863
4,068


Perth and Kinross
1,861
1,957
2,061


Renfrewshire
2,097
2,146
2,200


Scottish Borders
2,087
2,205
2,303


Shetland
4,588
4,739
4,867


South Ayrshire
1,925
2,017
2,094


South Lanarkshire
1,947
2,032
2,100


Stirling
2,081
2,171
2,258


West Dunbartonshire
2,358
2,476
2,565


West Lothian
1,891
1,995
2,083


Scotland
2,108
2,197
2,272



  Notes:

  1. The funding figures used to calculate the per capita totals represent the current identified distributable revenue and capital funding to each local authority as set out in Finance Circular 1/2007.

  2. The figures include the funding available if councils freeze their council tax for each of the three years. However, they exclude a further £373.3 million/ £376.9 million/ £379.6 million still to be distributed over the next three years and £23.5 million/ £31 million/ £39.5 million funding to be provided separately to police authorities for additional police officers.

  3. The per capita figures were calculated using the latest available General Register of Scotland (GROS) population estimates (mid-2006).

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will accept the recommendations of the Association of British Insurers and withdraw planning permission for any developments where approval has been given to build on sites designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being at high risk of flooding.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an estimate of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year - in other words the areas estimated to have a 1 in 200 or greater chance of being flooded in any given year. It provides an indication of areas likely to flood but is not appropriate for assessing risk to individual properties and cannot replace studies at a local scale. The Scottish Government has no plans to revoke planning permissions because they have been granted in the areas shown on SEPA’s flood risk maps.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to follow the advice of the Association of British Insurers about housing developments in areas designated as being at a high risk of flooding and, if so, whether it will withdraw all planning approvals for such developments agreed since it came to office.

Stewart Stevenson: The central purpose of Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 7 – Planning and Flooding is to prevent further development which would have a significant probability of being affected by flooding or which would increase the probability of flooding elsewhere. The Association of British Insurers were a key consultee during its preparation and fully endorsed the Risk Framework approach to development planning set out in the SPP. The Scottish Government has no plans to revoke planning permissions because they have been granted in the areas shown on SEPA’s flood risk maps.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it arrived at a view on the first appeal against planning permission at St David’s Bay Harbour that planning permission be declined on the basis of a high risk of flooding and why, following the developer’s appeal, the Scottish Government’s reporter approved planning permission.

Stewart Stevenson: Section 48(6) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 has the effect that once a reporter has issued a decision on an appeal that decision is final and neither he/she nor Scottish ministers have any further jurisdiction in the matter. This means that it is not possible for Scottish ministers, the appointed reporter or the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) to comment on the merits of the appeals other than to say that the reporters’ decisions were based on the evidence presented at the public local inquiries and on all written submissions by the parties involved. The letter allowing the appeal and granting outline planning permission for residential development at Harbour Place, Dalgety Bay applied a condition to the consent that the detailed drawings for the scheme, particularly in relation to minimum floor levels and other protective measures, shall take into account the results of a formal Flood Impact Assessment carried out by a suitably qualified person and that this document shall be submitted to the planning authority as part of the application for approval of reserved matters. This condition was attached in the interests of public safety and in view of the location immediately next to the Firth of Forth, and of the low-lying and at least partially artificial nature of the ground at the site

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, if it allows development on areas designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being at high risk of coastal flooding, whether it will require developers to build sea defences.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an estimate of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year – in other words, those areas estimated to have a 1 in 200 or greater chance of being flooded in any given year. It provides an indication of areas likely to flood but is not appropriate for assessing risk to individual properties and cannot replace studies at a local scale. The presence of a development within the area shown on the flood map does not therefore mean it will flood nor that developers should be required to build sea defences.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to meet the Association of British Insurers to discuss coastal developments in Scotland and, in particular, those designated as being at a high risk of flooding.

Stewart Stevenson: The Association of British Insurers is represented on the Scottish Government’s Flooding Bill Advisory Group which provides advice to the Scottish Government on flood risk management issues at a strategic level. The group will be advising on the proposals outlined in the recently issued consultation paper The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland, which covers spatial planning and managing flood risk in coastal areas.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing developments designated as being at high risk of flooding by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency have been granted planning permission since May 2007 in (a) coastal areas and (b) inland flood plain areas.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an estimate of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year – in other words, those areas estimated to have a one in 200 or greater chance of being flooded in any given year. It provides an indication of areas likely to flood but is not appropriate for assessing risk to individual properties and cannot replace studies at a local scale. Information on housing developments approved in these area is not held centrally.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent research it has commissioned into the number of planning approvals for new housing developments awarded since May 2007 where the proposed development was designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being an area at high risk of coastal flooding.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) flood map shows an estimate of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year – in other words, those areas estimated to have a one in 200 or greater chance of being flooded in any given year. It provides an indication of areas likely to flood but is not appropriate for assessing risk to individual properties and cannot replace studies at a local scale. The maps are available for planning authorities to consult and if they take the view that there is a flood risk they are required to consult SEPA. The Scottish Government has not commissioned any recent research into housing developments approved in the areas shown on SEPA’s map.

Fuel

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6387 by Stewart Stevenson on 13 December 2007, what reply the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth received from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and what further representations the Executive will now make to the UK Government on an area-based derogation in the rate of VAT levied on the sale of motor fuel.

Stewart Stevenson: HM Treasury’s reply on 12 January 2008 confirmed that fuel duty is a UK-wide central government tax and that the UK Government has no plan to introduce regionally differentiated rates of duty.

  We plan to make a further approach to the Chancellor of the Exchequer shortly.

Fuel

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Energy Action Scotland regarding its review of the fuel poverty reduction programmes.

Stewart Maxwell: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and myself will meet this afternoon with Energy Action Scotland and a number of other stakeholders to discuss their view of the current fuel poverty situation and the best way of ensuring stakeholder participation going forward.

General Register Office for Scotland

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what access the UK Identity and Passport Service has to registers held by the General Register Office for Scotland.

Jim Mather: The UK Identity and Passport Service at present has no access to the registers held by the General Register Office for Scotland.

General Register Office for Scotland

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is undertaking, or has undertaken, to provide online access to the registers of births, marriages and deaths for Scotland for the UK Identity and Passport Service.

Jim Mather: The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) has provided the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) with limited online access to the registers of births, marriages and deaths for Scotland. Between 2000 and 2004, as part of work to detect identity theft, GROS gave IPS online access to a computer index to the Scottish birth, marriage and death registers. The index contained limited fields of information taken from the Scottish registers and was also used by the public in the family history search rooms at the GROS office in Edinburgh and at local registration offices. IPS was offered this facility to enable it to check the facts of births against potentially fraudulent applications for passports. The service was rarely used by IPS and has now been discontinued.

  More recently, the Registrar General has had preliminary discussions with IPS on how Scottish registration data might be provided to the IPS under section 56 of the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006.

General Register Office for Scotland

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to any work being undertaken to provide access to registers held by the General Register Office for Scotland to the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS), who in the IPS will have access to these data; what information will be provided, and for what purposes.

Jim Mather: The Registrar General has had preliminary discussions with the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) on how Scottish registration data might be provided to the IPS using the powers of section 56 of the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. It is not yet possible to say who in the IPS would need access to the data. The purpose being discussed is the prevention and detection of identity fraud. The only information that could be provided to IPS would be publicly available information contained in the Scottish registers of births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships, deaths, divorces and dissolutions of civil partnerships.

General Register Office for Scotland

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal basis is for any transfer of data from the General Register Office for Scotland to the Home Office.

Jim Mather: Any transfer of Scottish registration data held by the General Register Office for Scotland to the Home Office would be covered by Section 56 of the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. Section 56 enables the Registrar General for Scotland to provide Scottish registration information to any public body or office holder, including Government departments in the UK. The information in the Scottish registers is publicly available.

  In addition, under section 9 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, the Registrar General for Scotland could be obliged to provide information to the Home Office for the specific purpose of verifying an individual’s entry on the National Identity Register. This would require an Order to be made under the affirmative procedure by both Houses of the UK Parliament.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that educational psychologists should be regulated by the Health Professions Council.

Nicola Sturgeon: The White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century , published in February 2007 and endorsed by all four UK countries, confirmed that, with the exception of the new pharmacy regulator, no new statutory regulators will be established. It also confirmed that psychologists will be regulated by the Health Professions Council.

  Whether educational psychologists should be one of the domains of practitioner psychologist to be regulated by the Health Professions Council is a matter currently being consulted on across the UK, including on behalf of the Scottish ministers. The consultation paper on the draft Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Order 2008 confirms the seven domains considered to fit within the definition of practitioner psychologist, and asks whether all them should be statutorily regulated by the Health Professions Council and, if not, which domains should not. The consultation concludes on 22 March 2008, following which the responses will be considered for the final version of the draft Order to be laid for approval by resolution of both the Scottish Parliament and Westminster.

Justice

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8991 by Kenny MacAskill on 5 February 2008, what the exact dates and times of notifications were to other police forces.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8995 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 February 2008, in what timescale decisions to release information to the public are taken.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is not centrally available as it is an operational matter for the chief constable.

Justice

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that tagging and intensive monitoring are effective.

Kenny MacAskill: Intensive support and monitoring will be available to all local areas from 1 April 2008. Responsibility for the effective use of these measures is a matter for local agencies. Scottish Government is taking forward a programme of work to support local areas in managing high-risk young people, including through the use of intensive support and monitoring for young people who meet the criteria and may benefit from the service. This includes updated regulations, training, good practice, events and the deployment of professional advisers to provide on-going support utilising the experience of intensive support and monitoring Phase One areas.

Local Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are being put in place to monitor and enforce compliance with the concordat between it and local government across all Executive departments, offices and agencies and where the responsibility for this work lies.

John Swinney: The provisions in the concordat are subject to a range of monitoring arrangements which involve ministers, COSLA Office Bearers, officials from the Scottish Government, its agencies and local government and Audit Scotland.

  All elements of government will make a constructive contribution to delivering the components of the concordat.

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether councils are under any statutory duty to hold financial reserves of any particular scale.

John Swinney: There is no statutory duty for a council to hold financial reserves of any particular scale. It is for each council to estimate and hold financial reserves as it considers appropriate to meet its estimated future expenditure.

Ministerial Engagements

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official ministerial engagements have been undertaken within Scotland by the Minister for Community Safety since 17 May 2007, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10182 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ministerial Meetings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have met representatives of British Energy and, if so, when the meetings were, who was present and what was discussed in each instance.

Jim Mather: As part of a series of introductory meetings with Scottish businesses, I met with both the Company Secretary and Public Affairs Officer of British Energy on the 20 September 2007. I was accompanied by two officials with responsibility for Energy Policy.

  During the course of the meeting we discussed a range of issues including the Scottish Government’s policy on new nuclear power.

  In addition, I met British Energy personnel at our Energy consultation event on 25 June 2007, at a dinner arranged by Paul Foley of Kynesis on 31 January 2008 and at the National Economic Forum in Edinburgh on 6 February 2008.

NHS Finance

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Highland (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Highland from 2004-05 have been:

  

Year
Initial Allocation £000
In Year Allocations £000
Tota l£000
Total in real terms (2006-07) £000


2004-05
239,241
63,577
302,818
318,086


2005-06
272,090
58,657
330,747
340,236


2006-07
419,558
73,140
492,698
492,698


2007-08*
445,848
72,432
518,280
501,966


2008-09**
459,614
0
459,614
433,234



  Notes:

  *The 2007-08 figure has not yet been finalised and further in year allocations are likely.

  **The 2008-09 total is the initial basic allocation and does not yet include the in year allocations that will be made throughout the year.

NHS Finance

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Western Isles (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Western Isles from 2004-05 have been:

  

Year
Initial Allocation £000
In Year Allocation £000
Total£000
Total in Real Terms (2006-07) £000


2004-05
42,168
11,873
54,041
56,766


2005-06
47,100
10,231
57,331
58,976


2006-07
50,307
7,916
58,223
58,223


2007-08*
53,584
5,792
59,376
57,507


2008-09**
55,189
0
55,189
52,021



  Notes:

  *The 2007-08 figure has not yet been finalised and further in year allocations are likely.

  **The 2008-09 total is the initial basic allocation and does not yet include the in year allocations that will be made throughout the year.

NHS Finance

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Shetland (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Shetland from 2004-05 have been:

  

Year
Initial Allocation £000
In Year Allocation £000
Total £000
Total in Real Terms (2006-07) £000


2004-05
26,745
9,329
36,074
37,893


2005-06
29,779
8,250
38,029
39,120


2006-07
31,812
7,749
39,561
39,561


2007-08*
33,892
7,320
41,212
39,915


2008-09**
34,928
0
34,928
32,923



  Notes:

  *The 2007-08 figure has not yet been finalised and further in year allocations are likely.

  **The 2008-09 total is the initial basic allocation and does not yet include the in year allocations that will be made throughout the year.

NHS Finance

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Orkney (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Orkney from 2004-05 have been:

  

Year
Initial Allocation £000
In Year Allocation £000
Total £000
Total in Real Terms (2006-07) £000


2004-05
22,386
8,635
31,021
32,585


2005-06
25,050
10,087
35,137
36,145


2006-07
26,852
7,415
34,267
34,267


2007-08*
28,683
7,605
36,288
35,146


2008-09**
29,660
0
29,660
27,958



  Note:

  *The 2007-08 figure has not yet been finalised and further in year allocations are likely.

  **The 2008-09 total is the initial basic allocation and does not yet include the in year allocations that will be made throughout the year.

NHS Finance

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue allocation to NHS Grampian (a) has been in each year since 2004 and (b) will be until 2009, shown also in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: The revenue allocations to NHS Grampian from 2004-05 have been:

  

Year
Initial Allocation £000
In Year Allocation £000
Total £000
Total in real terms (2006-07) £000


2004-05
481,741
127,836
609,577
640,312


2005-06
547,910
104,164
652,074
670,782


2006-07
583,490
98,671
682,161
682,161


2007-08*
627,313
101,031
728,344
705,418


2008-09**
646,297
0
646,297
609,203



  Notes:

  *The 2007-08 figure has not yet been finalised and further in year allocations are likely.

  **The 2008-09 total is the initial basic allocation and does not yet include the in year allocations that will be made throughout the year.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the option of purchasing added years as part of the NHSiS Superannuation Scheme is to be withdrawn on 1 April 2008, as has been announced for England and Wales.

John Swinney: The option to buy added years in the NHS Superannuation Scheme in Scotland is being withdrawn from 1 April 2008, as part of the pension reform package agreed with NHS employers and trades unions.

National Conversation

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) individuals have responded to and (b) comments have been received by the National Conversation website.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7812 on 10 January 2008.

  Users do not have to register to submit a comment in response to a blog, and can choose to remain anonymous. It is also possible for a user to make multiple comments. Therefore, we do not hold information on the number of individuals who have responded to the website.

  As of March 4, 2008, a total of 3,219 comments had been posted in response to National Conversation blogs, and 284 emails had been received via the website.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcomes of the National Economic Forum and what format this report will take.

John Swinney: Reports of the discussions held at the first meeting of the forum, which took place on the 6 February 2008, have been published recently and are available on the Scottish Government website. The reports represent summaries of the three discussions held, rather than verbatim transcripts.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the second meeting of the National Economic Forum to take place and whether this meeting will follow a similar format to the inaugural meeting.

John Swinney: The second meeting of the forum will take place before the end of this year, although the date has not yet been set. No decision has been reached by ministers on the format of the next meeting. The views of delegates to the first meeting on potential future themes and format are being gathered and assessed at the moment, and ministers wish to take these views fully into account.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that the Council of Economic Advisers will consider the issues generated at the inaugural meeting of the National Economic Forum.

Jim Mather: The Council of Economic Advisers will next meet on 13 June 2008 and discuss a range of issues that the Scottish Government might wish to pursue to improve Scotland’s sustainable economic growth.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has formalised the establishment of a link between the National Economic Forum and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s annual forum.

John Swinney: No. The Scottish Government remains in discussion with SCDI about the scope for establishing such a linkage.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects the membership of the National Economic Forum to change according to the themes considered.

John Swinney: Individuals and groups were invited specifically to participate in the first meeting of the forum. Many of those invited are likely to form part of a core membership but ministers wish to retain flexibility (in terms of both size and representation), according to the theme(s) to be considered at each meeting, around that emerging core.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which representative organisations, businesses, non-departmental public bodies, individuals and other groups will make up the core membership of the National Economic Forum.

John Swinney: No final decision has yet been taken by ministers about the size and composition of any emerging core membership of the forum.

National Economic Forum

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were considered when inviting delegates to participate in the National Economic Forum.

John Swinney: The groups and individuals invited to participate in the first meeting of the forum were agreed by ministers at the recommendation of officials with the aim of bringing together a broad range of senior figures and leaders in business, trade unions, government, the wider public sector, and the third sector.

National Parks

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the quinquennial review of the Cairngorms National Park will commence; how the review will be conducted, and by whom.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the quinquennial review of the Cairngorms National Park will include a review of its boundaries.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any review of the Cairngorms National Park boundaries, which may form part of its quinquennial review, will seek the views of interested parties as part of the review process; if so, who will be consulted and whether any consultation will be limited to particular areas.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any review of the Cairngorms National Park boundaries will include consideration of changes to the boundary around Dava Moor.

Michael Russell: I intend to make an announcement to Parliament next week about a strategic review of the national parks and about matters relating to their boundaries.

Non-Domestic Rates

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what internal research it has conducted on the possibility of local authorities reducing business rates in their areas and when it will be published.

John Swinney: The implications of giving local authorities discretion to reduce business rates locally are still being explored. Further information on this work will be given in due course.

Older People

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last met representatives of organisations representing elderly people.

Shona Robison: Ministers meet frequently with both national and local organisations representing the interests of older people. I met the Scottish Pensioners Forum in November and with the Fife Elderly Forum in December. Next month I will chair a meeting of the Older People’s Consultative Forum, which includes key representative bodies.

Parliamentary Questions

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many oral questions the Minister for Schools and Skills has answered since May 2007.

Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10400 on 4 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

People with Disabilities

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to monitor the implementation of the recommendations made in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report on services for young physically disabled adults in Glasgow 2003.

Shona Robison: It is for NHS boards to determine the levels of service provision for young physically disabled adults based on local needs. The majority of the recommendations from the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland review were for the NHS board. Implementing and monitoring the recommendations of the review is the responsibility of the board’s Physical Disabilities Planning Group. Two of the recommendations are being progressed at national level through the wheelchair and seating services project team; and the development of neurological standards.

Planning

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has provided in fees to (a) East Ayrshire Council and (b) South Ayrshire Council for the processing and administration of wind farm applications, broken down by planning application.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9559 on 21 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Police

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to strengthen partnership working between Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Services and front-line officers in Grampian Police and Northern Constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: There is a strong working relationship between the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) Forensic Services and police forces. There are Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in place governing both the relationship and workloads and the SLAs are regularly reviewed through liaison meetings at operational and management level. SPSA Scene Of Crime Officers are directly tasked by police forces. At a strategic level, ACPOS has established a forensic science advisory group, chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable of Grampian Police, which includes membership of the SPSA Director of Forensic Science.

Police

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for future development of the Aberdeen forensic laboratory of the Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Services.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether work on the further development of the Aberdeen forensic laboratory of the Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Services has been suspended and, if so, for what reason.

Kenny MacAskill: Police forensic services and development of forensic science laboratories are operational matters for the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA). Following a facilities review of police forensic science, SPSA has recently submitted a business case, for approval by the Scottish Government, proposing the merger of the laboratories currently situated in Aberdeen and Dundee to a purpose built facility in Dundee. The Scottish Government recognises the need for investment in police forensic science facilities and is currently assessing the SPSA business case. In reaching a decision, careful consideration will be given to the impact on staff and the service provided to police forces, along with the potential efficiencies and service benefits a new facility could deliver.

Prison Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8990 by Kenny MacAskill on 5 February 2008, when he was informed that Robert Foye had absconded.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  The Cabinet Secretary for Justice was informed of the abscond when Robert Foye was arrested by Police and charged.

Prison Service

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what target response time is set by the Scottish Prison Service for sufficient officers to attend a violent incident involving prisoners to enable officers to intervene in (a) its own estate and (b) HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS operating procedures set out how staff should respond to emergency incidents. They do not include specific target response times. The actual response time will vary depending on where staff are located in relation to the incident.

  Procedures in Kilmarnock are set out in the appropriate Directors Rule. These are similar to the SPS procedures and the SPS are satisfied that Kilmarnock followed their standard operating procedures.

Prison Service

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received regarding the implications of the murder of Michael Cameron in HM Prison Kilmarnock on 16 June 2006; when that advice was received, and what steps were taken as a result of that advice in respect of (a) the operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock and (b) the rest of the prison estate.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Immediately following the incident the Kilmarnock Prison Senior Management Team carried out an incident review to see whether there were any immediate lessons to be learned.

  Serco also carried out a full investigation which was completed in August 2006. This suggested improvements to the cell sharing risk assessment protocol.

  The SPS has emphasised the importance of such measures across all prisons.

Prison Service

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report by the Scottish Prison Service into the murder of Michael Cameron in HM Prison Kilmarnock on 16 June 2006.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS has no plans to publish the investigation into the murder of Michael Cameron.

Prison Service

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been introduced to the service specifications in the contract in respect of HM Prison Kilmarnock following the murder of Michael Cameron in the prison on 16 June 2006.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Prison Service do not consider that any changes to the Service Specification are required as a result of the murder of Mr Cameron.

Prison Service

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Serco has suffered any penalty as a consequence of the murder of Michael Cameron on 16 June 2006 and, if so, what that penalty was, when it was imposed and in respect of what breach of its obligations it was imposed.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  In line with Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd the following performance points were recorded as pending until the court case was concluded. These were applied to the second quarter of performance year 2006-07 in February 2008.

  Prisoner on Prisoner Serious Assault x 2: 100 points

  Prisoner on Staff non injury assault: 5 points.

Procurement

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to effectively promote the Community Benefits in Public Procurement report and accompanying guidance to contracting bodies and stakeholders.

John Swinney: The Community Benefits in Public Procurement Report was launched at an event in Raploch, Stirling on 19 February 2008. The report is a Scottish Government publication and has received support from Local Authorities in the form of Local Authority participation in the Community Benefits Programme and through endorsement by COSLA.

  Throughout the programme, the Scottish Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sector who were invited to the launch event. Industry stakeholders the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), have offered to promote the guidance to their members.

  As a matter of course the Report and accompanying guidance are available on the Scottish Government website and the Scottish Procurement Directorate has circulated a policy note to central government agencies and non-departmental public bodies and to local authorities providing a link to the report and on accompanying guidance note.

  Lessons from the programme are also being disseminated through specific work being carried out by Registered Social Landlords in Scotland.

Procurement

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage local authorities to adopt a progressive procurement policy.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has provided financial support for the establishment of "Scotland Excel", a centre of expertise for local authority procurement. The Scottish Procurement Directorate expects to work closely with Scotland Excel to help promote improved performance in line with the Government’s Procurement Reform programme.

Procurement

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any outsourcing contracts have been agreed by any of its departments or agencies since ministers took office in May 2007 and, if so, what the nature and value was of each contract and whether any additional work was added and, if so, of what value.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Public Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what projects or services have been supported by the Bus Route Development Grant in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: The following table gives details of the projects which have been awarded funding from the Bus Route Development Grant scheme in 2006 and 2007.

  

Year of Award
Local Transport Authority
Project


2006
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Enhancement to Cumnock Local Service


2006
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Enhancement to Saltcoats to Stevenston Service


2006
Argyll & Bute Council
Ardrishaig to Lochgilphead Service Enhancement


2006
Aberdeenshire Council
Enhancement to Banchory to Aberdeen Service


2006
Aberdeenshire Council
Enhancement to Westhill to Aberdeen Service


2006
Fife Council
Townhill to Dunfermline Expansion


2006
Midlothian Council
Sheriffhall Park & Ride Service


2006
Midlothian Council
Mayfield to Edinburgh via Eskbank Extension


2006
Midlothian Council / City of Edinburgh Council
Night Bus Network


2006
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Extension of East Kilbride to Eddlewood Service


2006
West Lothian Council
Enhancement to Livingston to Edinburgh Park / Stevenson College Service


2007
Highland Council
Enhancement of Inverness to Inverness Airport Services


2007
City of Edinburgh Council
Enhancement of Linlithgow to Edinburgh Service


2007
City of Edinburgh Council
Enhancement of Lothian Buses No. 36 Service


2007
City of Edinburgh Council
Southern Interchanges Development

Public Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative funding will replace the Bus Route Development Grant (BRDG) to fund future projects previously eligible under the scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: Under the concordat agreed between Scottish ministers and COSLA, local authorities are expected to set financial priorities to meet local needs. From 1 April 2008, the funding for BRDG will be included in the main local government settlement. The Scottish Government will be producing guidance to aid local authorities in the consideration of new route development projects.

Public Transport

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to investigate the value of having anti-spill devices for diesel-fuelled vehicles fitted as a condition of receiving Bus Service Operators Grant.

Stewart Stevenson: The value of having anti-spill devices fitted to buses is a commercial matter for bus operators. As part of the developing Scottish Government policy for buses it is proposed that Bus Service Operators Grant become more environmentally focussed and thereby encourage investment in newer vehicles, cleaner engines, and better fuel efficiency.

Rail Network

Tricia Marwick (Central Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with Fife Council about the reopening of the Leven to Thornton rail link.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is working closely with the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN) on the Levenmouth Sustainable Transport Study. Discussions have taken place with Fife Council in this context about the aspiration to reopen the Leven to Thornton rail link.

Rail Network

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the work on the Orton loop on the Inverness to Aberdeen rail line to commence and be completed.

Stewart Stevenson: Our High Level Output Specification (HLOS) outlines plans for an hourly service to be provided between Aberdeen and Inverness and asks Network Rail, during the period 2009-14, to produce a plan for how this will be delivered. At this stage no firm date is specified for commencement or completion of the work as this will depend on resources becoming available. Feasibility work will, however, be progressed between 2009-14.

Rail Services

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scotrail franchise includes clauses relating to industrial action and, if so, whether it will publish these clauses.

Stewart Stevenson: The ScotRail Franchise Agreement does include clauses relating to industrial action and these clauses are already published in the Public Register version of the Franchise Agreement.

  The Public Register is maintained by Transport Scotland on behalf of Scottish ministers in accordance with the 2005 Railways Act.

Rape

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre is being reduced by £50,000 per annum.

Stewart Maxwell: The decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 was taken by the previous Labour / Liberal Democrat Executive.

  In November 2005, every rape crisis centre in Scotland was invited to bid for up to £50,000 pa under the Rape Crisis Specific Fund 2006-08. However, newer centres, in Lanarkshire and Western Isles, were invited to apply for up to £100,000 in 2006-07, extra resources being made available in year one of the fund to assist these centres to develop their services. The previous administration made clear to both centres that in 2007-08 funding of £50,000 only would be available, bringing these centres in line with others across Scotland. Both centres were offered the opportunity to discuss, with Rape Crisis Scotland and officials from the previous Scottish Executive, the implications of this approach and identification of what alternative sources of funding might be available.

Rape

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers that the decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 per annum will have on service delivery in Clydesdale.

Stewart Maxwell: The decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 was taken by the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive.

  The extra resources made available to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre in 2006-07 were to assist them to develop their services as a newer centre. At this time, the previous administration made it clear that the funding of £50,000 available to these centres in 2007-08 brought them in line with other centres across Scotland.

  The Scottish Government is monitoring the impact of the previous Executive’s decision.

Renewable Energy

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it received on bird impact predictions for the Lewis Windpower application and whether it will make this advice publicly available.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has received information on ornithological issues from a range of bodies including the applicant, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in relation to the Lewis Windpower application. In addition a large proportion of the 9,934 public representations received in respect of this application also contained comments on ornithological issues. In line with the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, it is our intention to publish environmental information relating to the Lewis Wind farm proposal once the application is determined.

Renewable Energy

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has commissioned into bird impacts at operational wind farms.

Jim Mather: A considerable amount of evidence, relating to a wide range of bird species is already available from existing sources, including international studies and third party research.

  In addition, the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage commissioned a research project in 2006 to undertake "Field Studies on the effects of wind farms on Upland Birds". The work is being carried out by scientists from RSPB Scotland. This is a correlative study comparing breeding bird densities and distributions on operational wind farms across upland Britain with similar areas close to the wind farms, and will report in summer 2008.

  The Scottish Government generally includes the requirement for developers to monitor impacts on breeding birds over a number of years as a condition of any consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act for wind farm developments. In due course analysis of these time-series studies will be able to complement the correlative study, but only after a substantial number of wind farms have been operational for at least five years. In addition, specific studies on the effects of wind farms on red kites have been required, as conditions of consent, of two developers whose wind farms are in close proximity to red kite populations.

Renewable Energy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has given to energy generation schemes using (a) biomass, (b) wave power, (c) hydro power, (d) tidal power, (e) onshore wind power and (f) offshore wind power since May 2007.

Jim Mather: Electricity generation from these sources qualifies for support under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) mechanism. Onshore wind and hydro power are established technologies which do not require additional support. However, we will consult in the near future on proposals for the Obligation to provide additional support for emerging technologies, and through the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) we are exploring the potential for the further development of the hydro sector.

  The Scottish Government has made offers of grant totalling almost £25 million to support a number of projects using wave and tidal energy, biomass and hydrogen fuel cells.

  Scottish Government also funds support for community and microgeneration, covering a wide range of renewable energy technologies. Expenditure was £4.2 million in 2006-07 and is expected to be over £5.5 million for 2007-08.

Renewable Energy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many energy generation schemes using (a) biomass, (b) wave power, (c) hydro power, (d) tidal power, (e) onshore wind power and (f) offshore wind power have been approved since May 2007.

Jim Mather: Electricity generating developments (greater than 50Mw generally and 1Mw for water driven generating stations) are consented by Scottish ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. In considering an application made under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish ministers would consult with statutory stakeholders including the local planning authority, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Environment Protection Agency as well as non-statutory bodies and the public. Since May 2007, the following applications have been approved by Scottish ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989;

  

Mature Technologies
 
Developing Technologies
 


Onshore wind 
3
Wave
1


Hydro
2
Tidal
0


 
 
Offshore Wind
0


 
 
Biomass
0



  Smaller scale on-shore developments below the Electricity Act 1989 thresholds are consented by local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. We do not currently maintain records of the number of applications consented by local planning authorities but arrangements are being put in place to do so.

  Off-shore electricity generating developments (tidal, wave and off-shore wind) which have a generating capacity below 1Mw do not require consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Instead all offshore developments (regardless of size or purpose) require consent under section 34 of the Coastal Protection Act 1949 for works which could cause an obstruction or danger to navigation and additionally a licence under Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 for construction activities or depositing of materials in the sea. Figures for these consents and licences are not held centrally.

Road Accidents

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents have involved blue light vehicles from the (a) police, (b) fire service and (c) ambulance service in each of the last five years and how many (i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries resulted from accidents in each category.

Stewart Stevenson: (a) The number of road accidents involving the police and the number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from these accidents are:

  

Year
No. of Accidents
No. Killed
No. Seriously Injured


2002-03
1,278
2
13


2003-04
966
0
9


2004-05
1,252
1
6


2005-06
997
3
12


2006-07
938
3
15



  Notes

  1. The figures relate to accidents occurring in the financial year

  2. The figures include accidents involving police vehicles on operational duties and include those involved in emergency responses and pursuits.

  (b) The information requested on vehicle accidents involving the fire and rescue service is no longer held centrally. However, historic information relating to the number of accidents involving fire service vehicles between the years 1999-2000 and 2002-03 is given in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland annual report published by the Scottish Executive in January 2004; a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 30472).

Road Accidents

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents involving military vehicles (a) took place and (b) were reported to police forces in Scotland in each year since 1997, also broken down by constabulary.

Stewart Stevenson: The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government however some data will be available from the Ministry Of Defence.

Roads

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used to review the tender process for the M74 northern extension.

Stewart Stevenson: An internal review considered all aspects of the tender process to ensure compliance with European and UK Procurement Regulations.

Roads

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what external advice was taken during the review of the tender process for the M74 northern extension about its legality under EU competition law.

Stewart Stevenson: None.

Roads

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers would place the contract award process for the M74 northern extension on hold if the European Commission moves to a formal investigation of the tender process.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-2320 on 21 February 2008. All answers to oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-08/sor0221-01.htm.

Roads

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response would be if the European Commission decided to nullify the award of the contract for the M74 northern extension to Interlink M74 under Section 2 of Article 81 on restrictive agreements and practices.

Stewart Stevenson: We carried out an internal review of the procurement process which concluded that the procedures were properly conducted. We will consider our response to the Commission when they come to a decision on the complaint.

Roads

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the inclusion of bilingual signs on the full length of the agreed A82 route between Tarbert and Inverness, including within Inverness city limits.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Transport Scotland to investigate an extension of the current bilingual sign proposals to include the A82 trunk road within the City of Inverness. This necessarily requires to be carried out in conjunction with Highland Council, the local road authority. A three month timescale has been set for the investigation.

Scottish Futures Trust

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the first project to be built under the Scottish Futures Trust will be announced.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust is currently out to consultation with a closing date for responses of 14 March 2008. An announcement on further developments will be made when we are ready to inform the Parliament.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) daily, (b) weekly and (c) Sunday papers it has used for advertising purposes since May 2007 and what the total expenditure was in each case.

John Swinney: The following table details newspaper advertising spend from May 2007 to February 2008 broken down by title of publication.

  

Daily Titles
Total Spend


Courier and Advertiser (Dundee)
£7,314


Daily Mail 
£5,739


Daily Record 
£24,693


Edinburgh Evening News
£7,403


Glasgow Evening Times 
£26,620


Glasgow Herald
£1,430


The Scotsman
£47,420


The Sun 
£21,626


The Herald
£9,048


Metro
£23,636


Aberdeen Evening Express
£7,187


Aberdeen Press and Journal
£17,566


Dundee Evening Telegraph
£10,921


Total spend
£210,603


Weekly Titles
Total Spend


The Orcadian - Orkney
£768


Eastern Eye Scotland
£2,995


Inverness Courier
£11,892


Stirling Observer 
£1,688


S&UN Renfrewshire Package Group
£1,434


Falkirk Herald Series
£3,704


Fife Free Press Group
£2,148


Alloa / Clackmannan County News
£868


Ayrshire Weekly Press Group
£2,710


Ayrshire 3 Package
£2,679


Northern Scot Midweek Extra
£4,231


Mediaforce Scottish Package 
£85,708


Lanarkshire Package
£9,000


Shetland Times
£781


Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Ad
£1,414


Dumbarton and Lennox Herald
£727


Dumfries/Galloway Standard
£1,302


Western Borders Package
£3,087


Oban Times and W Highland Times
£702


S&UN dumfrIes and Galloway Package
£1,193


Glasgow & Renfrewshire Package
£2,698


Total Spend
£141,729


Sunday Titles
Total Spend


The Sunday Times 
£4,094


Glasgow Sunday Herald
£2,500


Scotland on Sunday
£4,546


Sunday Mail
£10,981


Sunday Post
£1,085


Sunday Herald 
£1,207


News of the World
£9,375


The Mail on Sunday 
£410


Total Spend
£34,198


Total Press Spend
£386,530

Scottish Government Ministers

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether community engagement falls within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth or the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.

John Swinney: Community engagement is a key element of a wide range of policy areas and contributes towards all of our Strategic Objectives, for which the Cabinet collectively has ownership. The most consistent links are with our Objective to make Scotland wealthier and fairer. As Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, the lead responsibility for this rests with me.

Scottish Government Publications

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, and what targets it has, to reduce the number of documents that it publishes in hard copy.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8934 on 28 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Government Publications

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) total number and (b) cost were of Scottish Government publications produced in each year since 1999, showing how many recipients of these documents requested a hard copy and how many had documents sent to them as part of general mailshots.

John Swinney: A list of Scottish Government publications and their costs from 1 June 2007 to 31 December 2007 is as follows.

  A list of Scottish Executive publications and their costs since 1999 is given in Scottish Executive List of Publications/Costs 1 April 2004 - 30 June 2005, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37172).

  A list of Scottish Executive publications and their costs from 1 July 2005 to 31 May 2006 is given in Scottish Executive List of Publications/Costs 1 July 2005 – 31 May 2006, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under (Bib. number 40127).

  Data relating to 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2007 can be found in the answer to question S3W-2286 on 24 August 2007.

  There is currently no central record held on the circulation of each publication and this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  

Publication
Total
Date


Revised Staff Governance Standard 
£2,826.88
28-06-2007


ERAD Economic Report Agriculture 07 Ed 
£10,018.63
04-06-2007


Students With Dependent Children 
£6,508.00
04-06-2007


Scotland for Emergencies Leaflet 
£752.07
26-06-2007


Well 10 
£38,704.13
04-06-2007


Police Framework Leaflet 
£781.63
04-06-2007


SMART Scotland Awards Leaflet 
£1,321.00
26-06-2007


Outpatients Programme Booking/Access 
£2,131.50
25-06-2007


Key Information for Ministers 
£1,452.50
04-06-2007


Housing Web Conversion (x2) 
£445.00
25-06-2007


Survey of Achievement 2006 Annexes 
£1,596.50
28-06-2007


WEB ONLY: SPP6 SEA STATEMENT 
£82.40
08-06-2007


Age Participation Index 2005-06 WEB 
£48.80
12-06-2007


WEB ONLY: NP FRAMEWORK 2 WEB UPDATE 
£285.70
25-06-2007


WEB ONLY: TIMETABLE OF PLANNING 
£15.68
27-06-2007


ISIS Desk drop Leaflet 
£800.38
02-07-2007


Agricultural Facts and Figures 
£871.38
02-07-2007


PAN 81 
£5,266.50
02-07-2007


Judicial Appointments Board A/R 
£4,173.50
02-07-2007


Education (ASL) Dispute Resolution 
£101.58
23-07-2007


Gambling Act 2005:Consultation 
£191.82
12-07-2007


Urban Fox Population 
£118.25
27-07-2007


Web Conversion Raising the Age 
£123.00
02-07-2007


Annual Pop Survey in Scotland 2006 
£270.66
23-07-2007


Web Only - Quality Meat Scotland Or 
£152.00
02-07-2007


School Estate Statistics 2007 
£128.39
12-07-2007


RFs 5-Rail Networks & Policy 
£178.45
12-07-2007


Rights Relationships & Recovery 
£1,191.25
27-07-2007


Web Conversion - Community Survey 
£509.00
12-07-2007


WEB ONLY: Forthcoming SPPs & PANs 
£12.36
11-07-2007


Licensing of Pet Dealers 
£119.45
17-07-2007


NPF2 - Participation Framework 
£80.93
27-07-2007


NPF2 Consultation Councillor Seminar 
£26.30
27-07-2007


Protocol Project 
£1,065.63
01-08-2007


Review of Scotland’s Colleges 
£3,341.50
01-08-2007


Staffing, Learners & Learning Environment 
£2,613.50
01-08-2007


10 out of 10 
£6,592.00
28-08-2007


Part Time Study Learning Booklet 
£6,007.12
01-08-2007


WEB ONLY: Planning Act Indic Mar 07 
£17.00
31-08-2007


Funding for Learners Disabled 07-08 
£5,586.63
01-08-2007


Funding For Learners Asylum Seekers 
£1,401.50
01-08-2007


Web Only - Infertility Treatment - 
£181.00
23-08-2007


UN Convention Rights Of A Child-Rep 
£20,424.00
31-08-2007


Cost of Learning Post Grad Students 
£1,234.42
01-08-2007


Cost of Learning Health Profession 
£1,272.04
01-08-2007


Adult Learners in Scotland 
£1,373.08
01-08-2007


Employing Support Workers Education 
£3,278.50
01-08-2007


ROSCO Equalities Issues Report 
£1,506.00
01-08-2007


Survey of Achievement 2006 Leaflet 
£3,925.25
29-08-2007


Parents as Partners Leaflets x 8 
£23,715.62
30-08-2007


StreetSense2 Updated Foreword 
£966.00
01-08-2007


Urban Rodeo Poster Booklet
£5,270.37
31-08-2007


Private Rented Housing Poster Leaflet 
£10,514.38
31-08-2007


A Brief Background Alts 
£1,968.88
01-08-2007


Children’s Hearings Info Referees 
£867.50
01-08-2007


Children’s Hearings Info for Employers 
£797.50
01-08-2007


Children’s Hearings Info For Training 
£775.75
01-082007


Child Hearings Info - Time Off Work 
£571.75
01-08-2007


Inquiry Reporters Unit Review 06/07 
£1,699.50
31-08-2007


HMIP Escorts Report 
£2,893.13
31-08-2007


SHS Annual Report 
£4,560.00
01-08-2007


SHS Methodology 
£666.00
01-08-2007


SHS Fieldwork 
£669.00
01-08-2007


Capacity Planning Masterclass 
£1,784.75
29-08-2007


Web Only - Leader Guidance 
£296.00
15-08-2007


Web conversion x 2 bird and flocks 
£124.00
01-08-2007


Web Only - Scotland Rural Development x 2 
£5,204.00
21-08-2007


One Year Job Guarantee Reprint +Alt 
£530.00
31-08-2007


Plant Health Guide Passporting 
£2,314.00
28-08-2007


A National Conversation White Paper 
£24,263.50
21-08-2007


Consultation-Amend Part 2 Act 1998 
£1,678.00
31-08-2007


Fresh Talent Working in Scotland 
£1,826.00
31-08-2007


RAS - Relocation Advisory Service 
£2,053.00
31-08-2007


Web Conversion - Consultation 
£71.00
13-08-2007


Procurement Guide Leaflet 
£609.50
31-08-2007


Eye Leaflet 
£6,935.00
23-08-2007


Draft Regulations Consultation 
£268.00
31-08-2007


Equality Act Guidance 
£125.00
28-08-2007


Web Conversion - Child Protection 
£100.00
13-08-2007


LTS 5 - 14 Guidelines x 5 kinds 
£17,732.00
31-08-2007


Web Conversion Scottish Flood Def. 
£887.00
28-08-2007


SPPA A Guide to Buying Add Services 
£828.00
31-08-2007


Web Conversions - Public Sector Pay 
£515.00
29-08-2007


SEERAD Consultation Web Only 
£230.00
31-08-2007


Mainstreaming Gender QA Education 
£4,610.50
27-09-2007


Ready Steady Bike & Primary 7 Programme 
£42,285.12
26-09-2007


Cost of Learning Older Learners 
£1,092.38
27-09-2007


Key Scottish Environment Stats 07 
£7,410.00
27-09-2007


Summary of Consultation Responses 
£51.00
25-09-2007


Road Safety for Migrant Workers Book 
£3,358.88
28-09-2007


Vital Voices E-Newsletter Issue 9 
£285.01
24-09-2007


Supporting People Matters Issue. 25 
£3,001.50
28-09-2007


Vocational Education/Training VET 
£2,324.00
27-09-2007


Health/Wellbeing Action Plan
£7,985.63
27-09-2007


Restorative Practices Research Summary
£2,317.50
12-09-2007


Choosing Scotland’s Future
£3,290.00
28-09-2007


LTS Financial Education Talk Money
£4,616.00
18-09-2007


SR Rpt-Quality of Life Fund Eval
£365.76
14-09-2007


RF 8-Quality of Life Fund Eval
£164.95
14-09-2007


Planned Care Improvement Programme
£3,689.00
27-09-2007


Intl Education-Opprnts Autm07Spri08
£2,773.87
28-09-2007


London Fashion Week Brochure
£4,777.00
28-09-2007


LTS ACfE 6 Newsletter
£8,676.00
18-09-2007


Well 11?
£36,626.82
28-09-2007


Scottish Household Survey
£1,531.00
25-09-2007


Sec 26 Mental Health- Incl in Mind
£9,867.87
30-10-2007


Independent Review of Scrutiny 
£14,500.28
25-10-2007


National Care Standards GP Services
£4,986.50
30-10-2007


Learning for Our Future: UN Decade
£2,149.00
18-10-2007


Scottish Freshwater Fisheries 
£7,815.00
29-10-2007


NHS Performance Management 
£2,800.50
29-10-2007


JIT Adult Protection Risk & Protect 
£2,168.62
26-10-2007


Skills for Scotland - strategy 
£18,027.44
02-10-2007


Unscheduled Care Collaborative 
£12,253.50
25-10-2007


Scotland in the USA 
£2,014.00
29-10-2007


Abuse of Off-Street Parking 
£3,692.75
23-10-2007


NHS Remuneration Committee 
£2,364.50
29-10-2007


Summary Justice Reform - Policy Statement 
£1,753.50
23-10-2007


Migrant Workers 
£749.00
10-10-2007


Gov. Legislative Programme for Scot 
£6,967.50
25-10-2007


Review-Disclosure in Criminal Proceedings 
£3,467.25
25-10-2007


Exec Summary -Disclosure Criminal Proceedings 
£1,365.25
25-10-2007


Public Procurement Reform Programme 
£4,389.00
30-10-2007


Mental Health Topic Guide Easy Read 
£83,729.25
01-11-2007


Biodiversity Indicators Summary 
£5,136.00
29-11-2007


Vulnerable Witness Info Guide Book 
£2,661.50
30-11-2007


Living Well Long Term Conditions 
£4,050.50
01-11-2007


Vulnerable Witnesses Civil Leaflet 
£1,536.62
28-11-2007


Chief Medical Officer Annual Report 
£9,660.37
29-11-2007


Adult Protection Phase 2 Report 
£3,752.50
23-11-2007


The Scottish Writers 
£1,865.63
30-11-2007


Patient Pathway Poster 
£2,361.52
30-11-2007


RSS Primary Booklet 
£3,104.50
29-11-2007


RSS Secondary Booklet 
£2,147.25
29-11-2007


HMIP Annual Report 
£2,796.38
30-11-2007


Chief Scientist Office Annual Report 
£6,946.50
30-11-2007


Adults With Incapacity Booklet 
£3,657.38
01-11-2007


Children’s Services (Scotland) 
£8,267.63
28-11-2007


RURAL SCO KEY FACTS 2007 
£3,099.25
30-11-2007


SCOTTISH SPENDING REVIEW 2007 
£23,369.75
27-11-2007


SSSC Newsletter - Adult Residential 
£2,631.75
30-11-2007


Government Economic Strategy 
£10,347.40
26-11-2007


Historical Abuse Systemic Review 
£20,625.00
27-11-2007


Teach in Scotland brochure 
£7,312.00
01-11-2007


Choosing A School Booklet Update 07 
£15,247.25
29-11-2007


Teacher Induction Scheme 2008/09 
£1,107.33
30-11-2007


ROSCO - Promoting Excellence 
£3,724.75
01-11-2007


Handshake Brochure 
£3,436.00
06-11-2007


Resolving Disputes 
£2,240.00
19-11-2007


E-Sourcing Document 
£529.09
30-11-2007


Summary School on School Leadership 08 
£558.36
30-11-2007


LTS NQCS History Ane End Ane Sang 
£1,265.00
13-11-2007


e-Procurement Scotl@nd Newsletter 
£1,153.98
30-11-2007


NHS Code of Practice 
£2,893.00
26-11-2007


Global Friends Brochure 
£8,467.00
26-11-2007


Scottish Biodiversity Summary 
£94.00
29-11-2007


A Strategy for Healthcare Science 
£17,798.48
21-12-2007


Being a Witness Civil Cases Booklet 
£3,094.48
21-12-2007


Pandemic Flu Plan 
£25,574.58
20-12-2007


Changing Lives Newsletter Autumn/Winter 
£5,662.72
19-12-2007


World Skills Games Brochure 
£2,415.00
21-12-2007


Volunteer Action Plan 
£2,914.88
03-12-2007


Communicating with Public - Teaser 
£1,888.22
21-12-2007


Pandemic Flu - Framework 
£3,414.00
20-12-2007


Pandemic Flu - Staff Guidelines 
£1,608.00
20-12-2007


Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Report 
£6,291.34
21-12-2007


CI Of Constabulary Annual Report 
£5,014.33
20-12-2007


Review of Community Penalties Report
£2,424.89
21-12-2007


Care Homes for Older People: Reprint with Alterations 
£14,288.19
21-12-2007


Early Education & Childcare: Reprint with Alterations
£8,383.56
21-12-2007


Sexual Health Strategy 2nd Ann Rep 
£3,389.78
21-12-2007


FLaT Programme: Design for Learning
£796.10
21-12-2007


National Fostering/Kinship Care Strategy
£9,048.34
20-12-2007


LTS Financial Education Newsletter
£1,446.00
17-12-2007


Fostering regulations 
£4,870.74
20-12-2007


LTS French Reading Programme
£1,161.00
14-12-2007


Fact File on Scotland
£1,839.00
14-12-2007


 
£881,075.32
 



  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at .

Sexual Offences

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidences there have been, since the passing of the appropriate legislation, in which counsel have been appointed to act in cases of sexual assault where the accused sought to defend themselves.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

  Under section 22(1)(dd) of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 a court can automatically appoint a solicitor to a person accused of a sexual offence as defined under section 288B of the Criminal Procedure(Scotland) Act 1995. Since April 2004 to date, we are aware of only 16 such grants. Some of these appointed solicitors may have subsequently applied for sanction to appoint counsel.

Special Areas of Conservation

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice Scottish ministers have received on proposed developments on Special Protection Areas, and whether they believe the regulations are being applied in an equivalent manner in Scotland as they are across EU member states and the United Kingdom.

Michael Russell: It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such information as might be necessary for the purposes of an appropriate assessment or to enable a determination to be made as to whether an appropriate assessment is required. Competent authorities responsible for decisions on applications for development (or in relation to other activities) potentially affecting a Special Protection Area or Special Area of Conservation must consult the appropriate nature conservation body which, in relation to such sites in Scotland, is Scottish Natural Heritage.

  It is for the European Court of Justice to determine whether member states secure proper compliance with their obligations under the EC Birds and Habitats Directives. In its application of these Directives through legislation and in its decisions, the Scottish Government takes full cognisance of relevant decisions and judgements. Details of such decisions and judgements can be accessed via the following web link: http://curia.europa.eu/en/content/juris/index.htm

Taxation

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its proposals for a local income tax.

John Swinney: We will issue a consultation paper very shortly.

Taxation

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it puts cutting taxes for business ahead of improving education and care services in its priorities.

John Swinney: This government’s overarching purpose, as set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 , is to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth. The decisions we have made involve cuts to business tax and significant new investment in education and care services.

Teachers

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage Scottish teachers employed outside Scotland to return to teach in Scottish schools.

Maureen Watt: We have no such plans.

Teachers

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is taking to ensure that the new draft experiences and outcomes in social studies is not used to allow more teachers with no qualifications or expertise in history to teach history.

Maureen Watt: The Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005 place a requirement on local authorities to employ adequate numbers of teachers with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge necessary to enable those teachers to undertake the teaching duties to which they are assigned. The draft experiences and outcomes in social studies, or any other curricular areas, will not alter this position.

Telecommunications

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of telemasts that have been erected or permitted by Network Rail in each year since 1997.

Stewart Stevenson: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. The Scottish Government does not maintain the information requested.

Terrorism Act 2000

Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people have been stopped at Scottish airports under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Kenny MacAskill: Twelve searches have been conducted at Scottish airports under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tourism

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for tourism.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government’s purpose is to create a more successful country through increasing sustainable economic growth. A strong tourism industry directly supports that purpose, and also our strategic objective to realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities. Our ambition is to work closely with the tourism industry to help it to grow revenues by 50% by 2015, and we continue to work to the "Tourism Framework for Change" blueprint which you instigated.

Tourism

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was made available to support tourism activities in Fife in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08.

Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally. Various public sector organisations provide funding to support tourism activities across Scotland; many such activities (for example the marketing of Scotland as the Home of Golf by VisitScotland) while of great benefit to Fife will be of benefit to other areas. It is therefore not possible to identify funding of specific benefit to a particular area.

Tourism

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to support tourism activities in Fife in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally. Various public sector organisations provide funding to support tourism activities across Scotland, and some of that funding is provided in response to needs as they arise, making it difficult to predict what any one area will receive. In addition, some funding activity (for example the marketing of Scotland as the Home of Golf by VisitScotland), while of great benefit to Fife, will be of benefit to other areas also. It is therefore not possible to predict what funding will be of specific benefit to a particular area.

Tourism

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget will be for VisitScotland’s operations in (a) Grampian, (b) Tayside, (c) east central Scotland, (d) the south of Scotland, (e) west central Scotland and (f) the highlands and islands in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland and I have asked the chief executive to write to you in reply to your question.

Tourism

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the concordat between VisitScotland, COSLA and the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group on the approach to funding agreements and reporting on activities on tourism.

Jim Mather: The concordat agreed between VisitScotland, COSLA and the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group in 2007 consists of a set of standard Key Performance Indicators for use in agreements between VisitScotland and individual local authorities to establish a common performance reporting mechanism. These indicators are set out below. However, individual authorities may choose which indicators are appropriate for their area or different indicators may be agreed depending on the local circumstances.

  Key Performance Indicators for Local Authority Agreements With VisitScotland

  1. Proportion of the total network office income for the local authority area that is provided by the local authority.

  2. Tourist Information Centre costs per visitor.

  3. Tourist Information Centre return on investment.

  4. Number of businesses within the VisitScotland Quality Assurance Schemes.

  5. Number of business units listed as entries on the visitscotland.com website.

  6. Return on investment for local marketing campaigns where to stay and essential guides.

Tourism

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote tourism in Fife in 2008-09.

Jim Mather: In consultation with Fife Council, VisitScotland market Fife in many ways, including:

  Promotion of Fife through the VisitScotland website, www.visitfife.com;

  Various brochures, guides and maps to encourage visitors to Fife, which are available from tourism information centres, by direct mailing on request and through third parties such as Kingdom FM. The golf guide is also inserted in national publications (e.g. Bunkered magazine);

  Fife participating in a range of VisitScotland national marketing campaigns;

  Working with partners to encourage visitors into Fife, for example First in Fife golf pass and the ancestral forum run by Fife Council;

  Advertisements in key publications – Walk magazine, Bunkered;

  Running the network of tourist information centres which are important for promoting Fife, and

  Various other public sector organisations (e.g. Scottish Enterprise) provide funding to support tourism activities across Scotland, and some of that funding is provided in response to needs as they arise, making it difficult to predict what any one area will receive. It is therefore not possible to predict what funding will be of specific benefit to a particular area.

Tourism

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of each local authority area’s economy is generated by the tourism sector.

Jim Mather: These figures are not available at local authority level. However, some regional data on tourism spend and employment are available. The following tables provide data on both of these indicative measures for 2006.

  Table 1 –Tourism Spend in Scotland by Region (Data is not Available at Local Authority Area Level)

  

Region
£ Million


Overseas
Domestic
Total


Aberdeen and Grampian
123
253
376


Angus and City of Dundee
40
50
90


Argyll, Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs
106
334
440


Ayrshire and Arran
53
103
156


Dumfries and Galloway
14
94
109


Edinburgh and Lothians
503
536
1039


Greater Glasgow and Cyde Valley
289
469
758


Highlands of Scotland
169
519
688


Kingdom of Fife
64
85
148


Perthshire
34
130
164


Scottish Borders
14
64
78


Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Outer Hebrides
9
84
93


Unspecified (interviewee not sure of region)
20
0
20


Scotland
1439
2720
4160



  Source – VisitScotland.

  Notes:

  "Domestic" column is for tourism spend by UK residents.

  Accuracy may be affected by data for some areas being based on very small sample sizes

  Table 2 - Employee Jobs in Tourism 2006 by Local Authority Area

  

Area
Tourism Employee Jobs
Tourism Jobs as a Proportion of Total Employee Jobs


Scotland
218,200
9.2%


Aberdeen City
11,500
7.0%


Aberdeenshire
7,700
9.2%


Angus
3,600
10.2%


Argyll and Bute
6,000
15.6%


Clackmannanshire
1,100
8.2%


Dumfries and Galloway
6,700
11.5%


Dundee City
5,800
7.8%


East Ayrshire
3,100
7.8%


East Dunbartonshire
2,500
10.2%


East Lothian
3,200
12.5%


East Renfrewshire
2,000
11.5%


Edinburgh, City of
31,200
10.2%


Eilean Siar
900
7.3%


Falkirk
4,700
8.0%


Fife
12,400
9.2%


Glasgow City
31,100
7.9%


Highland
14,500
13.8%


Inverclyde
2,300
7.7%


Midlothian
2,000
7.2%


Moray
3,300
9.6%


North Ayrshire
4,700
11.6%


North Lanarkshire
8,100
6.4%


Orkney Islands
900
10.4%


Perthshire and Kinross
8,000
13.8%


Renfrewshire
5,800
7.4%


Scottish Borders
4,100
9.6%


Shetland Islands
1,300
10.3%


South Ayrshire
6,300
13.3%


South Lanarkshire
10,400
8.3%


Stirling
5,100
11.0%


West Dunbartonshire
3,400
10.5%


West Lothian
4,600
6.1%



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry

  Note: Tourism is defined as SIC codes 55.1-55.4, 63.3, 92.5-92.7.

Transport

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in requiring Inverness and Elgin to produce strategies for enhanced park-and-ride schemes.

Stewart Stevenson: Following both the recent Scottish Budget settlement, and the concordat signed between the Scottish Executive and COSLA, decisions on prioritising and funding local and regional transport interventions including enhanced park and ride facilities will be for local authorities working with relevant Regional Transport Partnerships and other key stakeholders.

  The Scottish Executive and Transport Scotland will continue to work with all stakeholders to help progress park-and-ride schemes.

Transport

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the UK Government to amend regulations on HGV and bus design to make the fitting of anti-diesel-spill devices compulsory on all such vehicles, including foreign vehicles, using our roads.

Stewart Stevenson: The design of vehicles is covered by European standards. EC Directive 70/221 requires that commercial vehicles have in place appropriate measures to ensure that minimum leakage occurs. The anti-diesel-spill devices are designed to reduce the overall volume of fuel used by a vehicle which will have environmental benefits. However, the use of such a device is a commercial matter for operators.

Transport

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the anti-diesel-spill devices being used by Lothian Buses.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is aware of the anti-diesel-spill devices being used by Lothian Buses. These devices are designed to reduce the overall volume of fuel used by a vehicle which will have environmental benefits. However, the use of such a device is a commercial matter for operators.

Transport

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the use of anti-diesel-spill devices by Lothian Buses helps to promote environmentally-friendly sustainable public transport.

Stewart Stevenson: Any device that reduces the overall volume of fuel used by a vehicle will have environmental benefits however, the use of anti-spill devices is a commercial matter for operators.

Transport

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage public and private bus and HGV fleet operators to consider using anti-diesel-spill devices as used by Lothian Buses.

Stewart Stevenson: The use of anti-spill devices is a commercial matter for bus and HGV operators.

Transport

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to support the introduction of a permanent hovercraft link across the Forth and, if so, whether it will ensure that the service is operational before the commencement of next year’s planned major engineering works on the Forth Road Bridge.

Stewart Stevenson: The timing of engineering works on the Forth Road Bridge is a matter for Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) as the bridge authority. The FETA board considered, at its meeting on 22 February 2008, proposals to limit the potential disruption from the engineering works proposed for next year.

  The provision of public transport services is, however, primarily a matter for the local authorities and SESTRAN, in association with private sector operators. The Scottish Government is keen to see progress on the cross Forth hovercraft project, to be considered in the context of the wider study on cross Forth travel options being undertaken by SESTRAN, Fife and Edinburgh Councils.

Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which bus operators ministers have met since May 2007; when these meetings took place; who was present, and what issues were discussed in each case.

Stewart Stevenson: Meetings ministers have had with bus operators since May 2007 and what was discussed are outlined in the following table.

  

Date
Minister
Bus Operator
Issue Discussed


13 July 2007
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Stagecoach
Launch of Hovercraft Trial, Kirkcaldy to Portobello


20 August 2007
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
First
An introduction to First Glasgow and future developments. Tour of depot


27 August 2007
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Lothian Buses
Launch of 10 new airport buses tour of depot


31 October 2007
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Stagecoach
Opening of Stagecoach’s New Insch Bus Depot and presentation by the company on their work


19 November 2007
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
First
Overview of the company


8 January 2008
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Stagecoach
Bus Route Development Grant, Hovercraft project, Organic Passenger Growth and Success with Bus Networks


11 January 2008
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
West Coast Motors
Competitiveness of the local economy, financial support for transport, concessionary fares and Argyll & Bute Transport Summit


21 January 2008
Minister for Community Safety
Stagecoach
Souter Charitable Trust

Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received advice regarding the legal implications of providing a direct operating subsidy to a single operator for the cross-Forth hovercraft service and, if so, what the detail was of that advice.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has previously received advice from Scottish Government Legal Directorate on a range of issues and implications on providing any subsidy on cross-Forth travel including hovercraft. The Scottish Government does not normally publish the legal advice which it receives.

Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence it has had with the European Commission regarding the cross-Forth hovercraft service; when that correspondence was exchanged, and who was involved.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has had no correspondence with the European Commission regarding the cross-Forth hovercraft service.

Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made investigating whether there will be European funding available for building the new Forth crossing.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland officials are reviewing whether any funding would be available under the Trans-European Network (TEN-T) scheme to support development of the Forth Replacement Crossing.

Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to be in a position to announce how it proposes to fund the new Forth crossing.

Stewart Stevenson: A decision on this matter will be made later in 2008.

Trump Organization Planning Application

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the meetings between the First Minister and Donald Trump or his representatives since taking office, showing dates, locations and who was present.

John Swinney: The First Minister met with Donald Trump on 11 October 2007 whilst attending a GlobalScot dinner at Le Perigord restaurant in New York. Mr Trump was one of the 12 attendees at the dinner from the following organisations:

  Alexandria Real Estate, Royal Bank of Scotland, General Electric, Wyeth Research and McKinsey and Co. The dinner was also attended by SDI and Scottish Government officials.

  The purpose of the dinner was to leverage the knowledge, expertise and connections of senior GlobalScots in order to maximise the growth of Scottish companies in the Americas.

  Mr Salmond has attended other meetings with Mr Trump’s representatives in his capacity as the MSP for Gordon. Details of these meetings are not held by the Scottish Government but were given in evidence to the Local Government Committee.

UK Counter-Terrorism Bill

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as was reported in The Herald on 26 February 2008, it was involved fully in the drafting of the UK Counter-Terrorism Bill provisions and was completely content with them.

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent of the involvement of Scottish ministers was in the drafting of the UK Counter-Terrorism Bill.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9506 on 20 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Water Services

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of houses are fitted with water meters.

Stewart Stevenson: Advice from Scottish Water is that there are currently around 600 households (out of around 2.2 million) which pay for their water and sewerage services on a metered basis.

  The majority of households pay for these services by reference to the council tax band of the property, a result of which is that those occupying lower banded properties pay a correspondingly lower charge.

Water Services

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the eligibility criteria for charities, churches and voluntary organisations for reductions in water rates.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is consulting on the issue of the water services charges exemption scheme as part of its 2010-14 Principles of Charging consultation.

Wildlife

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the statutory role of Scottish Natural Heritage is in advising the UK Government with regard to natural heritage and impacts on European wildlife sites arising from proposed consents, operations or other matters for which responsibility is reserved under the Scotland Act 1998.

Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9971 on 26 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend initiatives such as the Highland Youth Voice model to all parts of rural Scotland.

Adam Ingram: There are a range of successful local youth engagement models across Scotland, including Highland Youth Voice. While the Government is keen to encourage local youth participation, it is for local authorities to work with local young people to determine the best model for their area.

  The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) in empowering young people across Scotland to influence decisions affecting their own lives and those of their schools and communities. Young people from rural areas and the Islands are represented on the SYP.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Building

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will next meet and whether, at that meeting, it will consider whether Ronald Rae’s Lion of Scotland should be located outside the Parliament building.

Tricia Marwick: The SPCB met on 5 March, and considered an offer of loan of Ronald Rae’s Lion of Scotland.

Holyrood Building

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total cost has been of (a) window cleaning, (b) gardening and landscape maintenance and (c) interior and exterior cleaning of the Holyrood building in each year from 2004-05 to 2007-08.

Alex Johnstone: The costs are shown in the following table. The costs of window cleaning include the costs of cleaning window surrounds, such as louvers, and removal of pigeon waste.

  

 
Window and Vertical Cleaning
Gardening and Landscape Maintenance
Interior and Exterior Cleaning


2004-05
Nil
Nil
£338,213.88


2005-06
£ 598.00
Nil
£471,731.91


2006-07
£108,671.83
£39,059.25
£492,244.57


2007-08 to date
£ 87,279.06
£43,784.13
£460,137.90